‘Jayalalithaa conscious when affixing thumbprint’

CHENNAI: Former chief minister J Jayalalithaa was completely in her senses when she affixed her thumb impression on the poll affidavits of AIADMK bypoll candidates in October 2016 when she was under treatment in Apollo Hospital. This was confirmed by Transtan member secretary P Balaji during cross examination by V K Sasikala’s lawyers at the Justice Arumughaswamy commission on Friday, Sasikala’s counsel Raja Senthoor Pandian said at a press briefing after he completed cross-examination of six government doctors.
He said most statements made by Sasikala in her sworn affidavit to the commission were confirmed by the cross-examination on Friday. Balaji and Sasikala were the only people in the room when the thumb impressions were taken resulting in a controversy that it was done when Jayalalithaa was unconscious. Meanwhile, accupuncture specialist Dr Sankar said he was asked irrelevant questions about his qualifications during the cross-examination.